Based New York, NY - USA Executive Search FirmFilcro Media Staffing with Tony Filson as OIC Reporting to Client COO in Washington, DC - USA
Client
The Interactive Division of a multiplex cable television network with over 100,000,000 subs. The Network is a division of a major media and entertainment conglomerate. The client enjoys niche dominance and branding on many platforms as a multiplatform, multiplex, multicaster serving a wide group of diverse demographics.
Search
Vice President National Online Advertising Sales
Client Situation
The COO of the Interactive Group wanted to expand the advertising sales force by identifying a key sales executive to manage and build a national sales force in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and the required back-office sales operational and client services infrastructure.
The COO was introduced to Filcro Media Staffing by the President of TV Network advertising sales who had conducted other senior level national advertising sales searches utilizing Filcro Media Staffing in the past.
Industry and Sector Inclusion
Television Broadcasting
Motion Picture
Music Entertainment
Book and Magazine Publishing
Interactive Media and Search Engines
The COO identified Filcro Media Staffing (FMS) and Tony Filson (TF) functioning as Officer in Charge of Search.
Filcro Media Staffing is Retained
Filcro Media Staffing Officer in Charge of Search (Tony Filson) had conducted many searches for the client company in the past and the COO was able to covey tactical and strategic goals without having to convey cultural nuance. Filcro Media Staffing’s successful experience with similar searches to monetize digital content across multiple media platforms and achieve business goals permitted a detailed understanding of what the COO was seeking in the new Vice President of Sales.
The COO of the Interactive Group was an exceptionally articulate and gifted media executive who able to covey his strategic goals clearly. His primary focus was to establish a national digital advertising sales organization that would be led by an executive who could lead and mentor others to gain internal and external consensus for convergent programs across multiple media platforms. At the same time, this new Vice President of Online Advertising Sales would be expected to function tactically across multiple verticals with clients and agencies and enjoy the duel player coach roles.
The COO wanted to remove himself from the advertising sales function to concentrate on the strategic business goals of the firm. The new sales executive we identified would be required to capitalize on convergent programs with the TV and Motion Picture Studio Divisions while building the Online Interactive Advertising Group (OIAG) to be a strong standalone entity unto itself. An online advertising sales executive who functioned with autonomy in the past while building national sales infrastructure in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles would be required. Identifying the right cultural fit for the organization would be a challenge.
The character, morality and work ethic of this new Vice President were as important as their business acumen. Anyone speaking with the COO would immediately recognize he is a fine gentleman who wanted the new Vice President to be a reflection of what he had built over the years.
Some of the challenges facing the new Vice President
Change Management
Building A National Sales Infrastructure
Mentoring Current Sales Staff
Adaptation of Creative Product to the Client
Formulation of Product for Future Platforms
Financial Management and Budget Controls
Client, Agency and Digital Network Relationship Building
Human Resource Concerns
Building Internal Consensus for Convergent Programs
Building Client and Creative Services, Inventory and Traffic
Building a Planning Process That Benefited TV and Interactive to Optimize Dollars
Filcro Media Staffing proceeded to identify over 100 executives in our initial universe of senior directors and vice presidents. Those with related convergent experience in broadcasting environments were top tiered and ultimately eight executives were recruited to participate in the search out of 23 “ideals” from broadcast and cable TV national online advertising sales environments.
It took three and a half weeks in total to identify, recruit, attract and qualify five top candidates from the eight candidates 1st tiered. The COO moved quickly to take advantage of Filcro Media Staffing’s cadence. The candidates with proven records of success were verified on (4) four levels and the pool was complete with three exceptionally qualified candidates from TV Network and Interactive Media & Entertainment environments.
The three final executives were all capable of building nationally and focusing on sales team development that could be responsive to clients and agencies tactically and strategically. Sales budgets were also similar and in line with the type of growth the COO expected over the next few years. The COO ultimately spent considerable time making his final decision as he truly felt that two of the executives reflected “exactly” what he wanted in his new Vice President.
Successful Vice President of Advertising Sales Recruited
The new Vice President ultimately hired had built a world-class national on line advertising sales organization as well as a self-sufficient New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit offices that facilitated sales, sales engineering, customer / client services and media operations. He had increased operational efficiency and customer retention by restructuring the advertising sales organization into three groups: sales, customer service and sales engineering. He was ideal to implement the type of “Change Management” that the COO wanted to differentiate Interactive Sales from the TV and Motion Picture Groups.
The new Vice President's prior experience renegotiating contracts with existing clients would also enable him to set new pricing points once he instituted the changes desired to creative content to meet the needs of new clients in desired verticals. He had lead account management teams in successfully implementing, tracking, reporting and optimizing interactive marketing campaigns to exceed specific ROI, CPA, CPL and CPS metrics. He was projected to increase sales by over 250% in his prior environment.
A prior track record of being transparent and accessible to management and board members was another key factor. The COO felt comfortable knowing that this new Vice President of National Advertising Sales was capable of detailed financial and sales reporting and being transparently accountable for his directives.
Working with and enhancing key relationships with clients and representing his prior employer(s) at industry trade shows, conferences and network events, including iMedia, IAB, Shop.Org, i-adworld, MediaPost and Ad:Tech also made him a very visible person in the interactive community and noted were speaking engagements included BtoB’s Meet the Experts and IAB’s Search Road Show .
With clear strengths in new business development, team building, financial management and a creative capacity with interactive product development this executive was a true match on every level. His education being focused on finance, the COO knew that the new Vice President would express fiscal responsibility in all the areas that reported into him.
On a cultural level the new Vice President was very much like the COO and a good fit for the organization. The new Vice President is known as a caring, honest, smart and diligent executive by those who know him personally and professionally. Our firm was very fortunate to bring forward such a talented executive to be hired who could facilitate every aspect of the COO’s immediate and long-term business objectives.
This executive has accomplished everything the COO mandated and Filcro Media Staffing was instrumental in identifying subsequent sales executives as the executive search firm of record that built the national infrastructure desired around the Vice President in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Chicago.
Mobile
Cable TV & MSO
Broadcast TV
Digital Radio
Online
Multicast & OEM
DOOH
Filcro Media Staffing Media executive search skill set and experience recruitment designations for review
Filcro Media Staffing Reviews, All rights reserved, 1985 - 2012 Filcro Media Staffing International Media and Broadcasting Executive Search Firms Selected Reviews of Digital Convergent Media Executive Search Firms
Review of Filcro Media Staffing International media and broadcasting executive search firms across multiple media platforms. Tony Filson Officer in Charge of Search Filcro Media Staffing International - Copyright 1985 - 2012 All Rights Reserved for Reviews. http://www.ExecutiveSearch.TV Filcro Media Staffing, Inc.